Tony Abbott's latest - women's virginity 'a precious gift'

Here's Abbott revealing his dark age thinking. If a woman's virginity is a 'gift', presumably for her husband, doesn't that mean that her sexuality is a commodity that is then owned by her husband. Why is it OK to commodify women's sexuality but not men's? But then, the men who wrote the bible had no problem with treating people as property. I guess men who follow the bible don't either.

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I thought Mr. Abbott was a politician. Why he would think that a woman's virginity status is any of his business needs some explanation. Stick to roads, health, education and foreign policy Mr. Abbott. That's what we are paying you for. Leave your fundy Catholicism at the door to Parliament House if you please. Especially since you a hypocrite who couldn't keep your unmarried dick in your drawers. You are an ass.

Being a naturalised Australian, recently transplanted from "churchy" USA, I'm still getting a feel for politics in Australia. (I also lived in Brisbane in the mid-'90s for a couple of years). There seems to be very little in the way of a Christian political agenda here...at least out and loud like it is in the US. Now we have Tony Abbott. How big is the churchy lobby in politics here?

I am sort of relying on Australian's natural repugnance for anyone or anything too sanctimonious to gain any kind of credibility in federal politics. I may be wrong, but I don't see the crazy, right-wing religiousity here that is a given in politics there.

That said, I'm a bit worried about Mr Abbott and his leadership, because I do suspect there may be a tendency towards apathy in the electorate here as in America. Happily, I did hear that at one time, in the '90s, Queensland had creationism on the ballot, to be taught along side evolution, in public schools, but it lost. Still, it actually gained enough support to make it to the polls.

Also, there are so many christian primary schools in this country...I'm a little dismayed by the statistic I heard recently on the evening news that private (mainly religious) schools will be receiving over half of government school funding in the near future, which means they must be receiving quite a few $$ now. Then there's Abbott's talk of teaching the bible in public schools. I don't know anything about the division of church and state in Australia. Something to look into.

I was under the impression that Austalians are much less religious, particularly when it comes to politics and public policy, than Americans. I am a bit stunned to find that only 4+ million Australians are non-religious (I got that figure from another discussion in this group). I would have thought the number of atheists here was much higher. Maybe there are a lot of non-practicing religious in this country.

Still, I think Australians are much less likely to tolerate religiousity in there political candidates and public policy discussions than, say, Americans (where you can't get away from it).

I can't help feeling creeped-out by Abbott on all sorts of levels. The speedos are the least of it...well, maybe not. His own daughter's assessment of "lame, gay churchy loser" is pretty remarkable. Perhaps he'll use that as part of a campaign slogan. As long as he keeps the "churchy" bit under wraps during work hours.

THE Federal Opposition Leader has described sex as "one of life's great pleasures".

Tony Abbott spoke candidly about his sex life in an interview with Launceston's The Examiner newspaper, saying he eschewed a "hair shirt'' view of the good things in life.

Although he bemoaned the fact it was difficult for him to have sex sometimes.

"Let's face it, it's almost impossible to have when you are on the campaign trail,'' Mr Abbott said.

"And it is one of life's great pleasures."

He said the inquiry about his sex life, linked to giving things up for Lent, was a very good question.

"When I was a schoolboy, my great Jesuit mentor, Father Costello, said that it was much better to do something positive in Lent than to give something up,'' he said.

"And he said that we shouldn't have a hair shirt mentality where we were against the good things of life - we should have a heroic mindset where we went out to try to make the most of life.''

Mr Abbott's Jesuit teacher counselled against giving up things like "lollies or chocolates''.

"He'd say: 'Try to go to Mass more often during Lent'.''

Mr Abbott caused a stir recently when asked about sex before marriage, in a personal interview with The Australian Women's Weekly, by saying he'd advise his daughters to abstain from sex until marriage and not give away their virginity too lightly.

The father of three qualified his comments by saying he was speaking as a parent and not issuing instructions to the world.

He's right on one thing ........those who talk about it ain't getting any !!!
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And that's the twit who want to be PM and run the country. Reminds me of "Yes Minister"
Bernard: "I think the PM wanrts to govern Britain"
Sir Humphrey: "Well stop him Bernard"

WE MUST NEVER HAVE A ROMAN CATHOLIC AS PM.

As far as Abbott, aka "The Mad Monk" aka. "Captain Catholic" is concerned, he is only a "yes man" for George "Go To Hell" Pell and Herr Papst Ratslinger. His strong connections with B.A. Santamaria are well know and it is thought he has connections with Opus Dei, a very dangerous Roman Catholic organization.

The Rank "Captain" was bestowed on him because he commands one of the ships in the Pope's Navy. And where does the Pope keep his Navy?